Thursday, 3 November 2016

A bunch of Snipe

I had a brief 30-40 minutes in the cold mist Tuesday morning, adding 4 Siskin to the new month list, 4 Pochard on BSL, then at Lavell's 2 Pintail, 1 a male over then back toward LFGP. As I was leaving two groups of Wood Pigeon came over SE.

Later I was told someone claimed a Jack Snipe at Tern scrape yesterday, when I got there a chap said he'd been around all morning but not met anyone making that claim.

Undaunted I went in to Bittern and scanned for an hour, seeing 38 Snipe, but no Jack. 2 Pintail were present, the buff female/juv and another asleep on the bund.

Doing a circuit, I picked up a Lesser Black-backed Gull and Parakeet for November.

Today I had to skip first thing, but came back to Bittern hide for another look, 24+ Snipe, 2 Cetti's heard, a Black-headed Gull with yellow ring number 2 BTS will be interesting to see where it has come from.

The car park field got me another Meadow Pipit, Chiffchaff and Kestrel, but little else, although the month is already on 73.

So scanning and checking the ducks I took shots of this rather interesting Tufted Duck

Ive seen my fair share of white faced Tufties, which generally look like obvious Tufties, but this one's head shape looks more interesting in the lower shot, you can make out a single longer feather on the nape indicating a tuft. The flanks do not show the kind of vermiculation I'd expect to see on a Scaup. Am reading up more, but thunk the tip of the bill is too extensively black, rather than just the nail itself.